Star Trek: Renaissance Technical Manual, Section 5

Written by Chris Edmonds and Dan Carlson

Images by Robert Crosswell and Chris Edmonds

Section 5.0: Auxiliary Vehicles

5.1: Overview

Shuttlecraft have always been a secondary means of getting people from ship to shore, in favor of the much quicker matter-energy transporter system. Nevertheless, starships have carried expansive facilities for these cheap, usually expendable craft.

Many new ways to subvert and detect transporter use have developed during the late 2360’s and 2370’s. Coupled with several more recent situations where a starship must effectively be in one place and also deliver someone or something to another led to a sudden resurgence in the use of shuttles. Many models are now capable of short interstellar journeys.

5.2: Engine Capabilities

Shuttlecraft back in the 22nd century had no warp capability at all, due to the fact that the smallest M/AM reactors of the time were as large as the shuttles themselves. During the mid 23rd century, M/A reactors were finally small enough to install on larger shuttlecraft. These shuttles were far from capable of interstellar travel, and their tiny warp drives could only sustain any appreciable warp factor for a few hours. By the 24th century, shuttlecraft could sustain these speeds for up to two days, making short-range interplanetary journies possible. However, the limited size and capacity of these ships prevented them from being used in any greater role.

Advancements in magnetic constriction technology eventually led to true interstellar capability in small craft with the development of the Danube-class runabout in 2368. This revolutionary vessel quickly became the workhorse for interstellar courier, patrol, and cargo/personnel delivery duties. It was only capable of Warp 5, making even a medium-range trip last a few weeks. It was, however, vastly cheaper to deploy than a bona fide starship.

The beginning of the 25th century has seen some of the highest-performance small craft ever to see service in Starfleet. The largest non-runabout models are capable of Warp 8 for a week, and the runabout models are even capable of Warp 9.4 for an equal duration.

5.3: Tactical Capabilities

Shuttlecraft of old were rarely armed with any real firepower. They were usually armed with a pair of Type-4 phasers, if any armament at all. With increasing amounts of hostility from both pirate and terrorist groups on the fringes of Federation territory, and the threat from major powers such as the Breen, Sheliak or Klingons, shuttles have become increasingly vulnerable to attack.

The Deployable Ablative Armor brought back with the USS Voyager has been a great boon to shuttle defense capabilities, but even the armor has its limits. Recent advances in phaser and disruptor weapon prefire chambers have made weapons even more powerful than ever, making shuttles once again vulnerable to threats from well-equipped enemies.

The most recent shuttles have been equipped with a miniature regenerative shield system, giving the shields a much needed boost be once again on par with armor protection. Armor itself has also been upgraded to the new reactive polarizing armor, affording the shuttles even more protection and also retaining their remarkable maneuverability.

Weapons systems have also been compacted considerably. Type-6 and Type-7 phasers have finally been compacted to a size that can be installed on shuttles, and Mark I Microtorpedo launchers have had a similar increase in compactness. However, microtorpedoes still suffer from the fact that their small size prohibits any decent guidance systems, effectively making them more useful being dumbfired at close range like explosive rockets. Their compactness does, however, allow for a relatively large magazine size.

Modern shuttlecraft are also equipped with at least one modular external hardpoint for multimission capability. The largest non-runabout shuttle comes with an option to install a weapon pod with a Type-8 capital-grade phaser, making it the heaviest-armed small craft ever developed. Shuttles, however, have ample energy weapon power with their integral phasers, and often are instead equipped with additional microtorpedo launchers and magazines.

As guidance and propulsion systems on capital-grade torpedo weapons improved over the years, they eventually got accurate enough to pose a huge risk to small craft. They were fast, agile, powerful, and guided, making them a small craft’s worst nightmare. Starfleet has begun equipping all its small craft with intetgral electronic countermeasures and jamming equipment to defend against the increasingly complex, yet still cheap and disposable guidance systems on capital torpedoes.

5.4: Shuttlecraft on the Phoenix Class

The Phoenix-class vessels carry four main types of shuttlecraft, in addition to a complement of craft of the venerable, tried-and-true “Work Bee” industrial utility craft.

The Type-25 is the workhorse shuttle, being of a medium build. It still has an impressive array of capabilities, such as Type-6 phasers, a regenerative shield system, and a modest interstellar-capable warp drive. The shuttle’s capabilities can be expanded with a multipurpose pod attached to a dorsal fuselage connection hardpoint. It has only recently been deployed to the Enterprise and Leviathan, and has yet to see any field use in their service.

The Type-22 shuttlecraft is an older model, slowly being phased out in favor of the Type-25. The Type-25 has only recently begun production, giving the Type-22 around a year left of useful service. They are somewhat of a maintenance hassle aboard the Phoenix Class vessels, due to the fact that they are the only craft on board that require parts for deployable ablative armor. Two examples of Type-22 craft on the Enterprise are the Aristotle and Archimedes.

The largest shuttlecraft built to date, the Type-26 is a behemoth vehicle. It is essentially a “mini-runabout.” It is also the most capable craft, being able to traverse interstellar distances at an appreciable speed, and packing powerful armament. It is capable of supporting a Type-8 capital phaser, mounted in a multipurpose pod on the dorsal fuselage. A noteworthy example of the Type-26 on the Enterprise is the Pathfinder.

The shuttlepod has always been a poor performing small craft, being hampered by the inability to carry any useful powerplant within their small frames. The Type-20 Shuttlepod is a radical departure, carrying the smallest matter/antimatter reactor ever created as its powerplant. This small reactor makes the Type-20 a powerhouse capable of matching the performance of larger shuttles in most regards. The shuttle’s capabilities can be expanded with two multipurpose pods attached to fuselage connection hardpoints.

5.5: Larger Auxiliary Craft

Two other auxiliary craft are carried on board the Enterprise, stored in their own separate hangars away from the main shuttlebay on the underside of the stardrive hull’s tail.

The Captain’s Yacht is a lavish transport vessel, used for ferrying diplomats or other high-position figures about. The yacht is equipped with a compartment that can be converted to executive quarters or a stateroom for high-profile guests. It is the only completely unarmed craft on board, giving it a much more peaceful feeling to it. Its sole defense is its very powerful shield system. The Enterprise’s yacht is named the Magnus, named after one of the alternate names of the Roman general Pompey the Great.

The Mississippi-class runabout is the latest in the line of runabouts, outperforming both the previous Nile and the Danube classes. These are starships in their own right, carrying their own NCC registration numbers. The Phoenix Class carries a single runabout in the bay opposite the Captain’s Yacht. The Enterprise carries the runabout USS Rubicon, NCC-88544.

5.6: Mission-Specific Omni Pods

The latest small craft in Starfleet come with special modular external hardpoints capable of supporting a wide variety of equipment depending on the nature of the mission. The Type-25 and -26 both have a single hardpoint on the dorsal surface, the Type-20 has a pair of small hardpoints on its wing stubs, and the Mississippi-class Runabout has a hardpoint on the dorsal surface as well as a removable internal cabin module. Certain pods are available for only certain types of craft, and are noted as such.